Hello, and ode to my addiction to all things Japanese. Fun fact: I’m actually 25% Japanese. Grandma is 100% oriental and Grandpa is 100% USA. They met on the navy base in Okinawa, fell in love, and never looked back.
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So when I explain to you my undying love for rice, sashimi, tofu, and fish eggs, you’ll understand. I’ve been on a search for the best and greatest sushi spots in Salt Lake City, and knew that Sushi Groove would be a “must try”. Although non-traditional, they’re big and bold when it comes to their unique flare and it intrigued me from the beginning.
First and foremost, Sushi Groove is ALWAYS packed. Always. A true sign of a popular (and usually good) foodie spot. Secondly, this restaurant came recommended by other foodies within the SLC community. I was curious to see how they would take a creative and groovy spin on traditional Japanese cuisine while still keeping things fresh and delicious. We first started with the Groovy Ceviche comprised of diced tuna, marlin, albacore, mango, strawberry, avocado, and masago marinated in ponzu served with seaweed salad. Tasted just as good as it looks and a great dish to get our “sushi” pallets in check.
What is sushi without a few slices of sashimi?? The chef created a special dish for us with their delicious hamachi, sea trout, albacore, escolar, and tuna. Fresh, flavorful, and bright, this plate was the most “traditional” item we tried- no flavors or standards being compromised! Although presentation isn’t the highest criteria for a great restaurant on my list, I was impressed with how beautiful they made these simple servings of sashimi appear.
After all of the ceviche and sashimi we still managed to polish off two of their most popular rolls. Roll #1: The Coco loco- coconut shrimp and avocado topped with spicy tuna, mango, albacore, cilantro, and roasted serrano ponzu. Amazzzzzing. Loved the coconut mashup and the exciting new texture it brought to the more commonly seen tempura shrimp. Roll #2: The Groovalicious- shrimp tempura, strawberry and cream cheese topped with crab, marlin, avocado, seared tuna, mango, and eel sauce. So entertained and pleased with how delicious this innovative and unique roll tasted. The sweet flavors of the mango and strawberry complimented the tuna and crab so well.
We ended our meal with one of my new favorite (and absolutely glutenous) SLC desserts: The Cookie Challenge.
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Picture tempura fried Oreos, chocolate coconut covered tempura fried Nutter Butters, and fresh bananas served with cookies and cream ice cream and thick hot fudge. WOW! Sushi Groove is a great SLC hidden gem with a delicious and unique spin on sushi with a fun environment to match it. Check out their $2.50 Tuesdays (2 pieces of nigiri sushi with drink and edamame), live music on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and live DJ nights on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Had a blast at this inconspicuous spot just off of Highland Drive and can’t wait to go back!
Sushi Groove (2910 East Highland Drive, SLC // 801.467.7420)
